The MIAH Foundation is delighted to announce that our next exhibition at the MIAH Islamic Arts & Heritage Gallery in Balsall Heath, Birmingham will be Fabric of Faith: the Arts & Textiles of the Hajj. The exhibition will explore how the annual pilgrimage of Hajj has inspired pilgrims, artists and art over the centuries through historic artworks, textiles, ephemera, and the memorabilia of pilgrims from the West Midlands.

Bringing together objects from private collections to be displayed together for the first time, some of the highlights of the exhibition include: a stunning mahmal (processional palanquin), which accompanied the new kiswa for the Ka'ba and led the pilgrim caravan from Cairo to Makkah during the rule of the Ottoman Sultan, Abdul Majid II; textiles from the holy sites in Makkah and Madinah; old photographs of pilgrims and the holy sanctuary; historical objects and artworks that were inspired by the holy sites, and a few selected contemporary works of art. These will be displayed alongside personal objects of memorabilia and ephemera from the local community.

Dates: Initially, Thursday 8th May - Friday 6th June 2025 on Thursdays to Saturdays (dates subject to interest - the dates may be extended to 28th June only the May tickets are fully booked). We advise to book early.

TICKETS: FREE / DONATION

We rely on the generousity of donors to stay open and currently need to raise £12,000 to stay open for another year. We strongly urge everyone who books tickets to make a donation of whatever you can afford (we recommend £4 per person or £12 per family). However, we realise that this is not always affordable so have provided an option for up to two tickets to be booked for FREE.